Shir Hashirim 2:9 (OJB)Dodi (my beloved) is like a gazelle or a young deer; hinei, he standeth behind our Kotel (Wall); he looketh forth at the chalonot (windows), peering through the lattices [Rev 3:20].

Song of Solomon 2:9 (WYC)My darling is like a capret, and a calf of harts; lo! he standeth behind our wall, and beholdeth by the windows, and looketh through the lattice. (My darling is like a gazelle, or like a hart calf; lo! he standeth behind our wall, and seeth in through the windows, and looketh through the lattice.)

Commentaries For Song of Solomon 2

The mutual love of Christ and his church. (1-7) The hope and calling of the church. (8-13) Christ's care of the church, Her faith and hope. (14-17)

Verses 1-7 Believers are beautiful, as clothed in the righteousness of Christ; and fragrant, as adorned with the graces of his Spirit; and they thrive under the refreshing beams of the Sun of righteousness. The lily is a very noble plant in the East; it grows to a considerable height, but has a weak stem. The church is weak in herself, yet is strong in Him that supports her. The wicked, the daughters of this world, who have no love to Christ, are as thorns, worthless and useless, noxious and hurtful. Corruptions are thorns in the flesh; but the lily now among thorns, shall be transplanted into that paradise where there is no brier or thorn. The world is a barren tree to the soul; but Christ is a fruitful one. And when poor souls are parched with convictions of sin, with the terrors of the law, or the troubles of this world, weary and heavy laden, they may find rest in Christ. It is not enough to pass by this shadow, but we must sit down under it. Believers have tasted that the Lord Jesus is gracious; his fruits are all the precious privileges of the new covenant, purchased by his blood, and communicated by his Spirit; promises are sweet to a believer, and precepts also. Pardons are sweet, and peace of conscience sweet. If our mouths are out of taste for the pleasures of sin, Divine consolations will be sweet to us. Christ brings the soul to seek and to find comforts through his ordinances, which are as a banqueting-house where his saints feast with him. The love of Christ, manifested by his death, and by his word, is the banner he displays, and believers resort to it. How much better is it with the soul when sick from love to Christ, than when surfeited with the love of this world! And though Christ seemed to have withdrawn, yet he was even then a very present help. All his saints are in his hand, which tenderly holds their aching heads. Finding Christ thus nigh to her, the soul is in great care that her communion with him is not interrupted. We easily grieve the Spirit by wrong tempers. Let those who have comfort, fear sinning it away.

Verses 8-13 The church pleases herself with thoughts of further communion with Christ. None besides can speak to the heart. She sees him come. This may be applied to the prospect the Old Testament saints had of Christ's coming in the flesh. He comes as pleased with his own undertaking. He comes speedily. Even when Christ seems to forsake, it is but for a moment; he will soon return with everlasting loving-kindness. The saints of old saw him, appearing through the sacrifices and ceremonial institutions. We see him through a glass darkly, as he manifests himself through the lattices. Christ invites the new convert to arise from sloth and despondency, and to leave sin and worldly vanities, for union and communion with him. The winter may mean years passed in ignorance and sin, unfruitful and miserable, or storms and tempests that accompanied his conviction of guilt and danger. Even the unripe fruits of holiness are pleasant unto Him whose grace has produced them. All these encouraging tokens and evidences of Divine favour, are motives to the soul to follow Christ more fully. Arise then, and come away from the world and the flesh, come into fellowship with Christ. This blessed change is owing wholly to the approaches and influences of the Sun of righteousness.

Verses 14-17 The church is Christ's dove; she returns to him, as her Noah. Christ is the Rock, in whom alone she can think herself safe, and find herself easy, as a dove in the hole of a rock, when struck at by the birds of prey. Christ calls her to come boldly to the throne of grace, having a great High Priest there, to tell what her request is. Speak freely, fear not a slight or a repulse. The voice of prayer is sweet and acceptable to God; those who are sanctified have the best comeliness. The first risings of sinful thoughts and desires, the beginnings of trifling pursuits which waste the time, trifling visits, small departures from truth, whatever would admit some conformity to the world; all these, and many more, are little foxes which must be removed. This is a charge to believers to mortify their sinful appetites and passions, which are as little foxes, that destroy their graces and comforts, and crush good beginnings. Whatever we find a hinderance to us in that which is good, we must put away. He feedeth among the lilies; this shows Christ's gracious presence among believers. He is kind to all his people. It becomes them to believe this, when under desertion and absence, and so to ward off temptations. The shadows of the Jewish dispensation were dispelled by the dawning of the gospel day. And a day of comfort will come after a night of desertion. Come over the mountains of Bether, "the mountains that divide," looking forward to that day of light and love. Christ will come over every separating mountain to take us home to himself.

1. rose--if applied to Jesus Christ, it, with the white lily (lowly, 2 Corinthians 8:9 ), answers to "white and ruddy" ( Solomon 5:10 ). But it is rather the meadow-saffron: the Hebrew means radically a plant with a pungent bulb, inapplicable to the rose. So Syriac. It is of a white and violet color [MAURER, GESENIUS, and WEISS]. The bride thus speaks of herself as lowly though lovely, in contrast with the lordly "apple" or citron tree, the bridegroom ( Solomon 2:3 ); so the "lily" is applied to her ( Solomon 2:2 ), Sharon--( Isaiah 35:1Isaiah 35:2 ). In North Palestine, between Mount Tabor and Lake Tiberias ( 1 Chronicles 5:16 ). Septuagint and Vulgate translate it, "a plain"; though they err in this, the Hebrew Bible not elsewhere favoring it, yet the parallelism to valleys shows that, in the proper name Sharon, there is here a tacit reference to its meaning of lowliness. Beauty, delicacy, and lowliness, are to be in her, as they were in Him ( Matthew 11:29 ).

4. Historically fulfilled in the joy of Simeon and Anna in the temple, over the infant Saviour ( Luke 2:25-38 ), and that of Mary, too (compare Luke 1:53 ); typified ( Exodus 24:9-11 ). Spiritually, the bride or beloved is led ( Solomon 2:4 ) first into the King's chambers, thence is drawn after Him in answer to her prayer; is next received on a grassy couch under a cedar kiosk; and at last in a "banqueting hall," such as, JOSEPHUS says, Solomon had in his palace, "wherein all the vessels were of gold" (Antiquities, 8:5,2). The transition is from holy retirement to public ordinances, church worship, and the Lord's Supper ( Psalms 36:8 ). The bride, as the queen of Sheba, is given "all her desire" ( 1 Kings 10:13 , Psalms 63:5 , Ephesians 3:8Ephesians 3:16-21 , Philippians 4:19 ); type of the heavenly feast hereafter ( Isaiah 25:6Isaiah 25:9 ). his banner . . . love--After having rescued us from the enemy, our victorious captain ( Hebrews 2:10 ) seats us at the banquet under a banner inscribed with His name, "love" ( 1 John 4:8 ). His love conquered us to Himself; this banner rallies round us the forces of Omnipotence, as our protection; it marks to what country we belong, heaven, the abode of love, and in what we most glory, the cross of Jesus Christ, through which we triumph ( Romans 8:37 , 1 Corinthians 15:57 , Revelation 3:21 ). Compare with "over me," "underneath are the everlasting arms" ( Deuteronomy 33:27 ).

5. flagons--MAURER prefers translating, "dried raisin cakes"; from the Hebrew root "fire," namely, dried by heat. But the "house of wine" ( Solomon 2:4 , Margin) favors "flagons"; the "new wine" of the kingdom, the Spirit of Jesus Christ. apples--from the tree ( Solomon 2:3 ), so sweet to her, the promises of God. sick of love--the highest degree of sensible enjoyment that can be attained here. It may be at an early or late stage of experience. Paul ( 2 Corinthians 12:7 ). In the last sickness of J. Welch. he was overheard saying, "Lord, hold thine hand, it is enough; thy servant is a clay vessel, and can hold no more" [FLEMING, Fulfilling of the Scriptures]. In most cases this intensity of joy is reserved for the heavenly banquet. Historically, Israel had it, when the Lord's glory filled the tabernacle. and afterwards the temple. so that the priests could not stand to minister: so in the Christian Church on Pentecost. The bride addresses Christ mainly, though in her rapture she uses the plural, "Stay (ye) me," speaking generally. So far from asking the withdrawal of the manifestations which had overpowered her, she asks for more: so "fainteth for" ( Psalms 84:2 ): also Peter. on the mount of transfiguration ( Luke 9:33 ), "Let us make . . . not knowing what he said."

6. The "stay" she prayed for ( Solomon 2:5 ) is granted ( Deuteronomy 33:12Deuteronomy 33:27 , Psalms 37:24 , Isaiah 41:16 ). None can pluck from that embrace ( John 10:28-30 ). His hand keeps us from falling ( Matthew 14:30Matthew 14:31 ); to it we may commit ourselves ( Psalms 31:5 ). left hand--the left is the inferior hand, by which the Lord less signally manifests His love, than by the right; the secret hand of ordinary providence, as distinguished from that of manifested grace (the "right"). They really go together, though sometimes they seem divided; here both are felt at once. THEODORET takes the left hand, equivalent to judgment and wrath; the right, equivalent to honor and love. The hand of justice no longer is lifted to smite, but is under the head of the believer to support ( Isaiah 42:21 ); the hand of Jesus Christ pierced by justice for our sin supports us. The charge not to disturb the beloved occurs thrice: but the sentiment here, "His left hand . . ." nowhere else fully; which accords with the intensity of joy ( Solomon 2:5 ) found nowhere else; in Solomon 8:3 , it is only conditional, "should embrace," not "doth."

7. by the roes--not an oath but a solemn charge, to act as cautiously as the hunter would with the wild roes, which are proverbially timorous; he must advance with breathless circumspection, if he is to take them; so he who would not lose Jesus Christ and His Spirit, which is easily grieved and withdrawn, must be tender of conscience and watchful ( Ezekiel 16:43 , Ephesians 4:30 , 5:15 , 1 Thessalonians 5:19 ). In Margin, title of Psalms 22:1 , Jesus Christ is called the "Hind of the morning," hunted to death by the dogs (compare Solomon 2:8.9 , where He is represented as bounding on the hills, Psalms 18:33 ). Here He is resting, but with a repose easily broken ( Zephaniah 3:17 ). It is thought a gross rudeness in the East to awaken one sleeping, especially a person of rank. my love--in Hebrew, feminine for masculine, the abstract for concrete, Jesus Christ being the embodiment of love itself ( Solomon 3:5 , 8:7 ), where, as here, the context requires it to be applied to Him, not her. She too is "love" ( Solomon 7:6 ), for His love calls forth her love. Presumption in the convert is as grieving to the Spirit as despair. The lovingness and pleasantness of the hind and roe ( Proverbs 5:19 ) is included in this image of Jesus Christ.

CANTICLE II.--(Solomon 2:8-3:5')--JOHN THE BAPTIST'S MINISTRY.

8. voice--an exclamation of joyful surprise, evidently after a long silence. The restlessness of sin and fickleness in her had disturbed His rest with her, which she had professed not to wish disturbed "till He should please." He left her, but in sovereign grace unexpectedly heralds His return. She awakes, and at once recognizes His voice ( 1 Samuel 3:91 Samuel 3:10 , John 10:4 ); her sleep is not so sinfully deep as in Solomon 5:2 . leaping--hounding, as the roe does, over the roughest obstacles ( 2 Samuel 2:18 , 1 Chronicles 12:8 ); as the father of the prodigal "had compassion and ran" ( Luke 15:20 ). upon the hills--as the sunbeams glancing from hill to hill. So Margin, title of Jesus Christ ( Psalms 22:1 ), "Hind of the morning" (type of His resurrection). Historically, the coming of the kingdom of heaven (the gospel dispensation), announced by John Baptist, is meant; it primarily is the garden or vineyard; the bride is called so in a secondary sense. "The voice" of Jesus Christ is indirect, through "the friend of the bridegroom" ( John 3:29 ), John the Baptist. Personally, He is silent during John's ministration. who awoke the long slumbering Church with the cry. "Every hill shall be made low," in the spirit of Elias, on the "rent mountains" ( 1 Kings 19:11 ; compare Isaiah 52:7 ). Jesus Christ is implied as coming with intense desire ( Luke 22:15 , Hebrews 10:7 ), disregarding the mountain hindrances raised by man's sin.

10, 11. Loving reassurance given by Jesus Christ to the bride, lest she should think that He had ceased to love her, on account of her unfaithfulness, which had occasioned His temporary withdrawal. He allures her to brighter than worldly joys ( Micah 2:10 ). Not only does the saint wish to depart to be with Him, but He still more desires to have the saint with Him above ( John 17:24 ). Historically, the vineyard or garden of the King, here first introduced, is "the kingdom of heaven preached" by John the Baptist, before whom "the law and the prophets were" ( Luke 16:16 ).

12. flowers--tokens of anger past, and of grace come. "The summoned bride is welcome," say some fathers, "to weave from them garlands of beauty, wherewith she may adorn herself to meet the King." Historically, the flowers, &c., only give promise; the fruit is not ripe yet; suitable to the preaching of John the Baptist, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand"; not yet fully come. the time of . . . singing--the rejoicing at the advent of Jesus Christ. GREGORY NYSSENUS refers the voice of the turtledove to John the Baptist. It with the olive branch announced to Noah that "the rain was over and gone" ( Genesis 8:11 ). So John the Baptist, spiritually. Its plaintive "voice" answers to his preaching of repentance ( Jeremiah 8:6Jeremiah 8:7 ). Vulgate and Septuagint translate, "The time of pruning," namely, spring ( John 15:2 ). The mention of the "turtle's" cooing better accords with our text. The turtledove is migratory ( Jeremiah 8:7 ), and "comes" early in May; emblem of love, and so of the Holy Ghost. Love, too, shall be the keynote of the "new song" hereafter ( Isaiah 35:10 , Revelation 1:5 , 14:3 , 19:6 ). In the individual believer now, joy and love are here set forth in their earlier manifestations ( Mark 4:28 ).

13. putteth forth--rather, "ripens," literally, "makes red" [MAURER]. The unripe figs, which grow in winter, begin to ripen in early. spring, and in June are fully matured [WEISS]. vines with the tender grape--rather, "the vines in flower," literally, "a flower," in apposition with "vines" [MAURER]. The vine flowers were so sweet that they were often put, when dried, into new wine to give it flavor. Applicable to the first manifestations of Jesus Christ, "the true Vine," both to the Church and to individuals; as to Nathanael under the fig tree ( John 1:48 ). Arise, &c.--His call, described by the bride, ends as it began ( Solomon 2:10 ); it is a consistent whole; "love" from first to last ( Isaiah 52:1Isaiah 52:2 , 2 Corinthians 6:172 Corinthians 6:18 ). "Come," in the close of Revelation 22:17 , as at His earlier manifestation ( Matthew 11:28 ).

14. dove--here expressing endearment ( Psalms 74:19 ). Doves are noted for constant attachment; emblems, also, in their soft, plaintive note, of softened penitents ( Isaiah 59:11 , Ezekiel 7:16 ); other points of likeness are their beauty; "their wings covered with silver and gold" ( Psalms 68:13 ), typifying the change in the converted; the dove-like spirit, breathed into the saint by the Holy Ghost, whose emblem is the dove; the messages of peace from God to sinful men, as Noah's dove, with the olive branch ( Genesis 8:11 ), intimated that the flood of wrath was past; timidity, fleeing with fear from sin and self to the cleft Rock of Ages ( Isaiah 26:4 , Margin;Hosea 11:11 ); gregarious, flocking together to the kingdom of Jesus Christ ( Isaiah 60:8 ); harmless simplicity ( Matthew 10:16 ). clefts--the refuge of doves from storm and heat ( Jeremiah 48:28 ; see Jeremiah 49:16 ). GESENIUS translates the Hebrew from a different root, "the refuges." But see, for "clefts," Exodus 33:18-23 . It is only when we are in Christ Jesus that our "voice is sweet (in prayer, Song of Solomon 4:3Song of Solomon 4:11 , Matthew 10:20 , Galatians 4:6 , because it is His voice in us; also in speaking of Him, Malachi 3:16 ); and our countenance comely" ( Exodus 34:29 , Psalms 27:5 , 71:3 , Isaiah 33:16 , 2 Corinthians 3:18 ). stairs--( Ezekiel 38:20 , Margin), a steep rock, broken into stairs or terraces. It is in "secret places" and rugged scenes that Jesus Christ woos the soul from the world to Himself ( Micah 2:10 , 7:14 ). So Jacob amid the stones of Beth-el ( Genesis 28:11-19 ); Moses at Horeb ( Exodus 3:1-22 ); so Elijah ( 1 Kings 19:9-13 ); Jesus Christ with the three disciples on a "high mountain apart," at the transfiguration ( Matthew 17:1 ); John in Patmos ( Revelation 1:9 ). "Of the eight beatitudes, five have an afflicted condition for their subject. As long as the waters are on the earth, we dwell in the ark; but when the land is dry, the dove itself will be tempted to wander" [JEREMY TAYLOR]. Jesus Christ does not invite her to leave the rock, but in it (Himself), yet in holy freedom to lay aside the timorous spirit, look up boldly as accepted in Him, pray, praise, and confess Him (in contrast to her shrinking from being looked at,Solomon 1:6 ), ( Ephesians 6:19 , Hebrews 13:15 , 1 John 4:18 ); still, though trembling, the voice and countenance of the soul in Jesus Christ are pleasant to Him. The Church found no cleft in the Sinaitic legal rock, though good in itself, wherein to hide; but in Jesus Christ stricken by God for us, as the rock smitten by Moses ( Numbers 20:11 ), there is a hiding-place ( Isaiah 32:2 ). She praised His "voice" ( Song of Solomon 2:8Song of Solomon 2:10 ); it is thus that her voice also, though tremulous, is "sweet" to Him here.

15. Transition to the vineyard, often formed in "stairs" ( Solomon 2:14 ), or terraces, in which, amidst the vine leaves, foxes hid. foxes--generic term, including jackals. They eat only grapes, not the vine flowers; but they need to be driven out in time before the grape is ripe. She had failed in watchfulness before ( Solomon 1:6 ); now when converted, she is the more jealous of subtle sins ( Psalms 139:23 ). In spiritual winter certain evils are frozen up, as well as good; in the spring of revivals these start up unperceived, crafty, false teachers, spiritual pride, uncharitableness, &c. ( Psalms 19:12 , Matthew 13:26 , Luke 8:14 , 2 Timothy 2:17 , Hebrews 12:15 ). "Little" sins are parents of the greatest ( Ecclesiastes 10:1 , 1 Corinthians 5:6 ). Historically, John the Baptist spared not the fox-like Herod ( Luke 13:32 ), who gave vine-like promise of fruit at first ( Mark 6:20 ), at the cost of his life; nor the viper-Sadducees, &c.; nor the varied subtle forms of sin ( Luke 3:7-14 ).

16. mine . . . his--rather, "is for me . . . for Him" ( Hosea 3:3 ), where, as here, there is the assurance of indissoluble union, in spite of temporary absence. Solomon 2:17 , entreating Him to return, shows that He has gone, perhaps through her want of guarding against the "little sins" ( Solomon 2:15 ). The order of the clauses is reversed in Solomon 6:3 , when she is riper in faith: there she rests more on her being His; here, on His being hers; and no doubt her sense of love to Him is a pledge that she is His ( John 14:21John 14:23 , 1 Corinthians 8:3 ); this is her consolation in His withdrawal now. I am his--by creation ( Psalms 100:3 ), by redemption ( John 17:10 , Romans 14:8 , 1 Corinthians 6:19 ). feedeth--as a "roe," or gazelle ( Solomon 2:17 ); instinct is sure to lead him back to his feeding ground, where the lilies abound. So Jesus Christ, though now withdrawn, the bride feels sure will return to His favorite resting-place ( Solomon 7:10 , Psalms 132:14 ). So hereafter ( Revelation 21:3 ). Psalms 45:1 , title, terms his lovely bride's "lilies" [HENGSTENBERG] pure and white, though among thorns ( Solomon 2:2 ).

17. Night--is the image of the present world ( Romans 13:12 ). "Behold men as if dwelling in subterranean cavern" [PLATO, Republic, 7.1]. Until--that is, "Before that," &c. break--rather, "breathe"; referring to the refreshing breeze of dawn in the East; or to the air of life, which distinguishes morning from the death-like stillness of night. MAURER takes this verse of the approach of night, when the breeze arises after the heat of day (compare Genesis 3:8 , Margin, with Genesis 18:1 ), and the "shadows" are lost in night ( Psalms 102:11 ); thus our life will be the day; death, the night ( John 9:4 ). The English Version better accords with ( Solomon 3:1 ). "By night" ( Romans 13:12 ). turn--to me. Bether--Mountains of Bithron, separated from the rest of Israel by the Jordan ( 2 Samuel 2:29 ), not far from Bethabara, where John baptized and Jesus was first manifested. Rather, as Margin, "of divisions," and Septuagint, mountains intersected with deep gaps, hard to pass over, separating the bride and Jesus Christ. In Solomon 8:14 the mountains are of spices, on which the roe feeds, not of separation; for at His first coming He had to overpass the gulf made by sin between Him and us ( Zechariah 4:6Zechariah 4:7 ); in His second, He will only have to come down from the fragrant hill above to take home His prepared bride. Historically, in the ministry of John the Baptist, Christ's call to the bride was not, as later ( Solomon 4:8 ), "Come with me," but "Come away," namely, to meet Me ( Song of Solomon 2:2Song of Solomon 2:10Song of Solomon 2:13 ). Sitting in darkness ( Matthew 4:16 ), she "waited" and "looked" eagerly for Him, the "great light" ( Luke 1:79 , Luke 2:25Luke 2:38 ); at His rising, the shadows of the law ( Colossians 2:16Colossians 2:17 , Hebrews 10:1 ) were to "flee away." So we wait for the second coming, when means of grace, so precious now, shall be superseded by the Sun of righteousness ( 1 Corinthians 13:101 Corinthians 13:12 , Revelation 21:22Revelation 21:23 ). The Word is our light until then ( 2 Peter 1:19 ).